PREP GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Underclassmen lift Torrey past San Pasqual

CARMEL VALLEY -- The younger players on the Torrey Pines High
girls volleyball team have been asked to be major contributors all
season.

Now the Falcons are asking them for more.

With four seniors missing for a variety of reasons, the Falcons
went even younger on Saturday in the CIF San Diego Section Division
I quarterfinals and emerged with a 25-9, 22-25, 25-16, 25-13
victory over San Pasqual.

And the younger Falcons will again play prominent roles. Senior
libero Lacey Fuller will return after missing Saturday's match to
take a recruiting trip to Penn State. But classmate Alexa Armstrong
(torn labrum) will miss the rest of the season, and the
availability of Frannie Cormier (ankle) and Katherine Ingersoll
(sick) is undetermined.

"The kids have had to take over now,'' Torrey Pines coach Jim
Harrah said. "Our seniors are, for the most part, hurting.''

On the court, Frager and Buechler are doing a lot of the
hurting.

Frager, who claims to be 6-foot-5, had six kills and three
blocks in the first game against San Pasqual (16-9).

After the Eagles used a 10-3 run to win the second game, Frager
sparked the Falcons again with five more kills and another three
blocks in the third game.

Buechler had five kills in both the second and fourth games.

"My game has changed a lot since I was on JV last year," Frager
said.

"Everything about it has gotten better because I wasn't ready to
be a varsity player last year.

"This year I thought I'd play a little here and there, but I
didn't think I would be as big a contributor as I am.

"After the first match this season I felt like I belonged."

Senior Ali Schwartz and senior Gigi Cresto each collected five
kills for Torrey Pines. Cresto also added four blocks, while
sophomore Ryan Chandler had five aces and junior Karly Drolson
added four.

Jaci Schork led San Pasqual with nine kills and three blocks.
Teammate Mariah Degusseme contributed six kills.

"Our defense was off and on all day long,'' San Pasqual coach
Caroline Monahan said. "When it's on, we're really on, like in the
second game.

"Going against a powerhouse like Torrey Pines that has an
intimidation factor plays against your defense. I think we were
scared to be here the first game."